Tuesday, September 27, 2016

I just love Halloween! This night scene is so fun to create - the inks blend nicely to create the spooky night sky. GooseBumps acts as a resist, protecting the colors of the moon and creating stars that come out as you apply the inks to the sky. These Lawn Fawn stamps are only slightly scary (well, the ghosts are actually adorable, especially the little one).

2. Watch the following video to see how to create the ink blended background. Be sure not to touch the GooseBumps until it dries... I accidentally touched the moon and put a fingerprint in it. (Ugh.)

3. Stamp the house, tree, and 3 ghosts on white cardstock. Color with colored pencils. If you want to see how I colored them with my Faber-Castell Polychromos, watch the following video (coloring has been sped up).

4. Optional: with a small brush add GooseBumps to the parts of the bats that are outside the moon (i.e. outside the previous application of GooseBumps). Let that dry then put another application over both bats to give them a slight dimension (it also helped fix my finger indent somewhat).

6. Once the GooseBumps has dried, adhere scene to cardbase. Adhere final ghost with dimensional tape if you haven't already done so. I wanted mine to go slightly beyond the scene onto the card base to make it seem like it was coming out of the card.

Friday, September 23, 2016

There are a lot of really cute Christmas patterned papers and cardstocks. If you can't find the one I used, there are lots of others featuring gingerbread men (I had several to choose from in my stash, from different manufacturers). I made my die cuts look like the images on the patterned cardstock (or at least close).

2. Use Lorna Label PopUp to create platform in center of folded patterned cardstock as directed on packaging. From a piece of dotted cardstock, cut an extra platform - trim away all but label area (use score lines as guides). Adhere dotted cardstock to center platform. Train folds for pop up platform. Adhere to card base inside (adhere one side, then add adhesive to the other and close card). Cut off-white cardstock 2 1/2 x 5 inches. Adhere to patterned cardstock where shown (this is the writing space).

Tuesday, September 13, 2016

This charm is both fun to make and looks really cool. You could easily use this technique to make a pendant, earrings, or smaller charms for hanging off tags or a charm bracelet. I made this one with potions for Halloween.

The clear embossing powder gives the charm a shine that makes it look like glass. I edged the piece with silver embossing powder, which looks like a metal frame when finished. You could also use other colors, such as gold or black.

Making the Charm

1. Die cut shrink plastic using Potion Bottles. Cut a piece of shrink plastic in a rectangle that is larger than the potions stamp (Mini Halloween 4) - I recommend using a cutter so the lines will be straight.

2. Watch the video below for stamping, coloring, and embossing. You will emboss the piece multiple times with clear embossing powder. You may add VersaMarker (or VersaMark Ink) in between layers, or if you work quickly, you may dip the just heated piece back into the clear powder and it will stick.

3. Hints: I left the back of the charm with a pebble-like texture for a rough glass look. You may put more on to make it smooth. Also, I made the mistake of coloring the entire purple bottle, which had the unfortunate effect of making the label too dark. If I did this over, I would leave the center of the bottle clear where the label would go. The green bottle label didn't fit in the hole after shrinking (they don't shrink evenly) - it didn't bother me since I wanted it to stick up anyway. I'm not sure if adding it to the center of the plastic before shrinking would work - I wouldn't recommend putting glue on before baking; it might start a fire.

4. Attach a jump ring to each side through the hole punched earlier. Attach one jump ring to the lobster claw hook clasp and the other to the chain. Note, if you don't like the clasp next to the charm, you may attach it in the middle of the chain so it won't show on the front, just open a link in the middle to do so. I like the look of it so I put it next to the charm.

Tuesday, September 6, 2016

The new Birds and Birdhouse dies from Joset Designs are super cute. They come with winter accessories but I decided to use them for a summer look, with fluffy clouds in the background and bright colors. The birds may look like they are kissing but they are really just dancing beak to beak.

Making the Card

1. Die Cut 3 panels from patterned paper (Abrianna by K&Company) using Accordion Rectangle: cut 2 from the blue side and 1 from the purple side. Line up panels so tabs are all on right. Cut tabs off last as directed on packaging. Decorate first, before assembly

2. Die cut 2 sets of Katie Flourish Frame Edges from both turquoise and purple/pink cardstock (i.e. 4 small and 4 big sides of each color). Adhere to opposite colored panels (the first panel will have them on both sides since it will be the front).

3. Die cut bird house, birds, wings, feet, and an extra heart from light purple/pink cardstock (Bird Dies, Birdhouse Dies). Die cut 2 sets of roofs, 2 outline hearts, decorative lines, and stand from purple/pink cardstock. Using the 2 rectangle dies (Accordion Rectangle), cut a frame from the light purple/pink cardstock (you will not use the inside of the frame) and large rectangles from both the light purple/pink and purple/pink cardstock.

4. Adhere one roof to bird house; cut chimney off the other and adhere with dimensional tape. Adhere outline heart and decorative lines as shown. Place frame on first panel where shown but before adhering, line up bird house stand and trim bottom off - glue stand first, then frame onto panel. Adhere birdhouse.

5. Die cut clouds (Country Scapes - Clouds & Grass) from scrap paper or cardstock. Use chalk or ink to make a few clouds in the upper third of the light purple/pink rectangle. Use the hill (Outdoor Edges) to cut purple/pink rectangle ground for birds. Adhere to light purple/pink rectangle then adhere to card base (middle panel). Chalk or ink birds as shown. Adhere feet. Rub lightly on the back of their bodies and wings with ball stylus to round them slightly, then use dimensional silicone (or dimensional tape) to adhere wings. Adhere googly eyes if desired (if not, add black cardstock behind eye holes). Once dry, adhere to panel as shown using dimensional silicone (or dimensional tape). When dry, adhere purple/pink heart as shown.

6. Stamp sentiment "There is beauty all around when there is love at home" on last panel in black ink. Adhere light purple/pink heart and purple/pink outline heart as shown. Adhere light purple/pink heart to first panel (front of card) in upper right corner. Adhere purple/pink heart on second panel in upper right corner.

I am Certified Copic Instructor and formerly a Class Instructor for Michaels (PaperEd: scrapbooking, card making, Copic coloring). My first design team was for Elizabeth Craft Designs 2014, followed by ECD's Susan Tierney-Cockburn's DT, 2015 - part of 2016, then finally back to the ECD team for the rest of 2016. I was also part of the Oak Tree Stamps DT 2015, Imagine Crafts/Tsukineko Artist in Residence Program 2016, Frantic Stamper DT Jan/Feb 2017 and Rubbernecker Stamps DT, Sep 2017-Jan 2018. I was a guest designer for Paper Smooches (October 2016) and Your Next Stamp (May 2017). I am currently on the Dreamerland Crafts and Xyron Design Teams.

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